Time to Gloat... My Nephew's the Best.

My nephew, Tony Fortier-Bensen batted .478 this season

I have one more post from my "Dailey Series," but this past weekend belongs to high school playoffs and my middle brother's son, Tony Fortier-Bensen, who has excelled in his senior year in baseball as well as academically. Tony batted .478 this season and actually went seven for seven and then, ten for ten during the regular season while anchoring the defense at shortstop.

Saturday afternoon, after winning their first playoff game against Barbe, H.S. by one run, Jesuit beat interstate rival Catholic High 3 to 2 and went on to beat the Lafayette Lions later that evening 5 to 4 to win the state 5AAA State Championship. It really was a thrilling series with a great team effort at the new Tulane stadium on a cool, breezy night. The Blue Jays won all their playoff games by only one run.

In my opinion, Tony Jr. should be voted Best High School Baseball Player in the New Orleans area, if not the entire state. Of course, having spent quite a few afternoons working with him on his skills and then, watching him play for over ten years, I guess I'm a touch bias.

Congrats, kid!

The Dailey Series...Hunt's Barbecue Sauce/The Coupon...

In my long career, I can honestly say that I was never "stiffed" for a job. I always got paid, but there are many other ways to screw illustrators besides not compensating them for a job well done... or a job poorly done. Here's one example...

My wife, the coupon expert, actually found the above coupon in the food section of the LA Times. My first reaction was, wow, I've got a nationally printed piece, but my elation lasted about all of a minute or two. I quickly realized I was taken advantage of. I was angry as well as disappointed that my comp work was doubling as illustration.

In the beginning, I naively rendered tight comps to impress art directors that would surely see my talent and offer me real live illustrative jobs. I was angry because they used one of my pieces without paying me another nickel for it, but I was also disheartened that the agency used a comp that was not only one of my lesser pieces, but that it was being used as an illustration. Although I didn't complain to anyone at that time, I was livid. At that time, I didn't understand why they couldn't see this was not my best work and why they would not give me the opportunity to redo the comp as an illustration. For the record, I probably would have done the illustration gratis just to say, proudly, that I created artwork for a national client. On the flip side of the coupon, there was an altered portrait of Dick Van Dyke that I did for the storyboard. It too was poorly illustrated to imitate my comp style. In a strange way, I was glad that the agency didn't use my signature for this or any other promo that I illustrated without my knowledge. The irony of it all was more than I could handle as a rookie!

It was a lesson well-learned...

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011

The Dailey Series...Hunt's Barbecue Sauce!

Back in the days when thicker was better, everyone seem to explore the standing knife trick. So, this concept had more than just four frames to prove this point and get the actor the most exposure possible.

The reproduction of these frames is pretty poor only because the original art was color xeroxed from prints.  This board was approved and a series of commercials was shot with Dick Van Dyke as the spokes person. Notice that type on the product and in the last frame was, at this time, still done by hand.

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011

The Dailey Series...Hunt's and Dick Van Dyke!

Key Frame Art that bled into the plastic protective sheet.

I don't remember who I did this work for but I did get to take home the product to draw from. At Dailey, the head man, who shall go unnamed, always had to approve the sketches for anything that was created and presented. It drove me crazy because I had to go to the agency, pick up the job, get briefed, and then go home and do a tight sketch for approval. Before I went to final coloring, I had to drive back to the agency, drop off the sketch and wait for the boss man to see it and approve. Sometimes, it sat on his desk  for hours before I got the go ahead and naturally, they would need the finish frames the very next day!

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011

The Illustrators Partnership Orphan Works Blog

The Illustrators Partnership Orphan Works Blog

The Dailey Series/ The McCullogh Chainsaw Storyboard...

Double click to see closer...

This is a closeup of one of the frames I did for Mike Rydel at Dailey and Associates. The original size was 5"x7" with about a half inch bleed all around. The reproduction here looks a little too magenta, but I want the viewer to see how over the top I could get and how caught up I could get in the middle of the night with an early morning deadline. Check out the skin pores and the rain drops, but don't ask me why because I really don't know. I have always had a penchant for pushing myself / the envelope doing things that didn't always needed to be done... especially in a sales tool like a storyboard. I feel that I am not at all an abstractionist, but when you look close at some of my stuff, there's a lot more abstraction within the real. And, I like that!

Analyzing the overall piece, there are a few places that needed to be addressed in this wet environment and I would have taken it to completion, but I had ten other frames to complete for presentation. The brim of the cap underneath would be darker as well as below the chin and I could have accentuated the left side of his face by darkening the inside of his collar. Also, his left eye should not be so highlighted, but still, I love this piece for what it conveys, that is, a determined, against all odds guy who's gonna get the job done no matter what Mother Nature sends his way. I love the blues, the transparency of the raindrops rolling down his cap and his face. Also, I believe this was the first time I used a blender with a fine tip to get the driving rain instead of over painting with gouache.

Oh, if only I had had another hour to spend!

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011

"And We Won't Stop Tryin' Till We Create a Disturbance in Your Mind...

Just decided to use this sketch of a old friend and bassist for the Radiators, Reginald "Van" Scanlan, to announce my attending the Jazz Fest with another music lover and good friend here in New Orleans from Idaho. A friend I haven't seen in about ten years or so! This is supposed to be the last hurrah for the Rads, though even they have mixed feelings about giving up the show. We'll see about all of that later, but starting today, it's time to create a "disturbance" in my mind and just let the good times roll.

See ya there, Reg!

Copyright Ben Bensen III / 2011